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Ukuphatha Umzalwane Oxhwalileyo!
1 Kuyabikwa impela ukuthi kulokuhlobonga phakathi kwenu njalo obohlobo olungenzakaliyo laphakathi kwabangakholwayo: Umuntu uthatha umkayise. 2 Njalo lina liyazigqaja! Kwakungamelanga libe buhlungu kakhulu yini limsuse enhlanganweni yenu umuntu owenze lokhu na? 3 Lanxa mina ngingekho mathupha, ngilani emoyeni. Njengomunye olani endaweni enje, sengimahlulele lowo owenze lokhu ebizweni lenkosi yethu uJesu. 4 Lapho libuthene ebizweni leNkosi yethu uJesu ngilani ngomoya, lamandla eNkosi yethu uJesu akhona, 5 umuntu lo mnikeleni kuSathane ukuze umzimba wakhe wesono uchithwe lomoya wakhe usindiswe ngosuku lweNkosi.
6 Ukuzincoma kwenu akulunganga. Kalikwazi yini ukuthi imvubelo encane ibilisa inhlama yonke? 7 Susani imvubelo endala ukuze libe yinhlama entsha engelamvubelo, njengoba linjalo impela. Ngoba uKhristu, iwundlu lethu lePhasika, lihlatshiwe. 8 Ngakho, kasigcineni uMkhosi, hatshi kulemvubelo endala, imvubelo yenzondo lobubi, kodwa lesinkwa esingelamvubelo, isinkwa sobuqotho leqiniso.
9 Ngalilobela encwadini yami ukuba lingahlanganyeli labantu abayizixhwali ngobufebe, 10 ngingatsho abantu bakulo umhlaba abagangileyo, loba abayizihwaba lamaqili, loba abakhonza izithombe. Nxa kunjalo kuzamele liwutshiye umhlaba lo. 11 Kodwa khathesi ngililobela ukuba lingahlanganyeli lomuntu ozibiza ngokuthi ngumzalwane, kodwa exhwalile, eyisifebe, isihwaba, umkhonzi wezithombe loba onyeyayo, isidakwa loba iqili. Umuntu onjalo lingalokothi lidle laye.
12 Kungumlandu wami na ukuba ngahlulele abangaphandle kwebandla? Akumelanga lahlulele labo abaphakathi na? 13 UNkulunkulu uzakwahlulela labo abangaphandle. “Mxotsheni umuntu omubi phakathi kwenu.”*
* 5:13 UDutheronomi 17.7; 19.19; 21.21; 22.21, 24; 24.7